Tim Hortons launches new "Cup-to-Tray" recycling program in Nova Scotia

Public asked to use new recycling units to help divert cups from
landfills

DEBERT, NS, Oct. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ - Tim Hortons and its Nova Scotia recycling partners announced today, during National
Waste Reduction Week, an effective way to recycle Tim Hortons' hot
beverage cups into Tim Hortons take-out trays - trays that can be
recycled into more trays. With this made-in-Nova Scotia Cup-to-Tray
program, Tim Hortons becomes the first quick-service restaurant in
Canada to "close the loop" and recycle used cups into another product
it uses.

Over the past two years, Tim Hortons has been working with Scotia Recycling Limited to collect cups at all 156 traditional Tim Hortons restaurants across
Nova Scotia and deliver them to Hantsport-based paper product
manufacturer CKF Inc. Initially cups were blended with other waste papers and made into a
variety of paper products, helping divert Tim Hortons cups from
municipal landfills across the province. Now, Tim Hortons and CKF have
established a process that converts the cups into take-out trays used
at Tim Hortons restaurants and other products, effectively closing the
loop on the company's hot beverage cup recycling process in Nova
Scotia.

The Cup-to-Tray program has the capacity to recycle 100 per cent of Tim
Hortons' annual Nova Scotia cup inventory and is just one aspect of the
company's Making a True DifferenceTM corporate social responsibility vision. For that vision to be
successful, Tim Hortons is now appealing to its guests by asking them
to recycle paper cups in Tim Hortons restaurants.

"Having this process of turning used cups into recyclable trays and
diverting those cups from landfills is a great success and one we are
proud of," said Greg Smith, Senior Manager, Regional Marketing -
Atlantic Canada, Tim Hortons. "But the only way for this program to
work is for the cups to be brought back to our restaurants and properly
recycled. We encourage our guests to join us in keeping Nova Scotia
clean by bringing their reusable mugs to Tim Hortons for a 10-cent
discount on coffee and by separating all their waste - cups, lids,
trays, organics - at our new in-restaurant and drive-through recycling
units."

Tim Hortons' new recycling units - custom-built using 98 per cent
recycled plastic - make it easy to separate waste into individual
compartments - an important step in avoiding contamination of waste and
ensuring materials can be properly recycled.

"Tim Hortons and its restaurant owners made a great investment in this
recycling program but it won't work unless everyone is involved,
including the public," said Dwight Whynot, President, Scotia Recycling
Limited. "If more guests separate their waste properly at the
restaurants' recycling units, it will keep the recyclable paper clean,
allowing even more waste to be diverted from landfills around the
province."

The Cup-to-Tray program is operating in St. John's, Newfoundland and
Labrador, with the intention of rolling it out across the rest of the
province and New Brunswick in the coming year. All Prince Edward Island
restaurants already divert their restaurant-collected paper packaging
from landfills through composting.

In other parts of Canada, cups and other paper packaging are collected
at Tim Hortons restaurants and diverted from landfills where possible.
In total, there are more than 650 Tim Hortons restaurants in Canada
offering cup-recycling or composting programs.

"When we started, no one knew if our cups could be recycled or composted
- now with the help of our partners we have learned that both can be
done, and we have already been engaging our guests to help us divert
cups from landfills in many markets across Canada," said Smith. "All
these learnings may now be applied to helping our restaurants in
remaining markets either begin or move further ahead in their cup
diversion programs - from starting new cup recycling or composting
programs to implementing full cup-to-tray recycling in restaurants with
existing programs."

Tim Hortons' Cup-to-Tray recycling program was developed and is operated
through the partnership of dedicated Nova Scotia-based businesses:

Tim Hortons Inc. Overview
Tim Hortons is the fourth largest publicly-traded quick service
restaurant chain in North America based on market capitalization, and
the largest in Canada. Operating in the quick service segment of the
restaurant industry, Tim Hortons appeals to a broad range of consumer
tastes, with a menu that includes premium coffee, flavored cappuccinos,
specialty teas, home-style soups, fresh sandwiches, wraps, hot
breakfast sandwiches and fresh baked goods, including our trademark
donuts. As of July 3rd, 2011, Tim Hortons had 3,811 system-wide restaurants, including 3,189
in Canada and 622 in the United States. More information about the
Company is available at www.timhortons.com

SOURCE Tim Hortons Inc.

Image with caption: "Tim Hortons encourages guests to join them in keeping Nova Scotia clean by separating all their waste - including hot beverage cups - at its new in-restaurant and drive-through recycling units. Also, part of its new Cup-to-Tray program, hot beverage cups are now being recycled into take-out trays. (credit: Mike Dembeck) (CNW Group/Tim Hortons Inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20111020_C5293_PHOTO_EN_5046.jpg

Image with caption: "In-restaurant sign promotes Tim Hortons' new Cup-to-Tray program that recycles hot beverage cups into take-out trays. Tim Hortons is the first quick-service restaurant in Canada to "close the loop" and recycle used cups from its restaurants into another product it uses. The promotion includes window stickers and digital message boards. (credit: Paul LeBlanc) (CNW Group/Tim Hortons Inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20111020_C5293_PHOTO_EN_5048.jpg